Only 20 years old, had 1500 and 21 TDs in a power 5 conference last year. At 5’10, 216 did this at his pro day yesterday.
An athletic freak, and it shows up all over his tape. These are only highlights but it’s easy to see those numbers translating to the field.
He’s not the perfect running back. His vision’s good but not great, he can be impatient at times, his contact balance is only average. But I’d bet a lot of money on what he does have translating really, really well to the league.
And he can be had in the 3rd round. Maybe the late 2nd after that testing.
I really don’t know much about this guy, but I honestly don’t love the highlights. He clearly has breakaway speed and really hits the hole without much dancing, but he seems to be a very straight line runner. He broke a few arm tackles, but did not see him make many people miss. That is why I love guys like Robinson or even Gibbs. Those guys can make things happen when a play breaks down. If they meet a LB’er in the hole 1on1, they make that guy miss more often than not. This kid seems like the type that would just lower his pads and try to fall forward, not unsimilar to a guy like Montgomery. Montgomery just seems a lot more physical with less breakaway speed.
Just my two cents from watching the highlight video.
Lateral movement isn’t his game, I agree, you’ll get much more from him as a one-cut and go runner. The best comp I’ve heard for him is Raheem Mostert with 20 extra pounds, that’s the kind of runner he is, except he stays much healthier and he’s better at the goal line.
I don’t agree about Gibbs though. I think he has to gather himself before he makes lateral cuts. It’s almost like he’s going too fast. Have him plant his foot in the ground and cut at a 25-30 degree angle and he’ll wreck the D, but I don’t think he’s the jukiest guy (same’s true of Achane). Explosive as can be, but when he needs to shift at sharps angles he brings his feet together for baby steps first.
Yeah, it’s gonna be all about what flavor a team wants. I personally have them ranked 1. Bijan, 2. Spears, 3. Achane (as a WR/RB/Returner), 4. Abanikanda, 5. Gibbs. But outside of Bijan they’re all very close together and in the same tier.
I haven’t watched as much Gibbs, so my assessment could definitely be off.
I personally think those one cut and go RB’s are a lot easier to find then a guy who is dangerous inside a phone booth so to speak. Thats a big reason why I love Bijan’s game so damn much.
He needs to sit down and watch a bunch of Barry and Warrick Dunn film to learn when and how to give himself up. I appreciate how hard he runs but for the sake of the team that drafts him he’s got to learn to make better business decisions IMO.
Probably so, I mean I heard he had to be persuaded to go out for the track team, he was football only for a while in high school. So I get it. But yeah, gotta be smart.
